Connecticut western news., 1887-09-21
GEN. BLACKS REPORT.
The Number of Pensioners and the
 Amount Disburied to Them.

Gen. Jorn c. Black Commissioner of Pen sions. in his annual report, says tho rule IS that no case shall be taken up out of its order but humanity requires that this rules should be occasionally varied for such reasons as extreme age, impending death of claimant, dependence of claimant on charity, or other like special and urgent causes. The suggestions of the Con- missioner include the following:
 That the allowance of S2 permonth to mlnor children entitled to pensions is inadequate to their snnDort, and should be increased to So per month.
 That the existing law that widows pension certificate can only bear date from the day on which she files her application should DC amended to allow the commencement of the pension to date from the death of the husband, the other conditions required by the law DeluS present.
 That the law should prohibit the payment of more than one pension to the same per son.
 That the law requiring pension to be graded according to the rank of the claimant, at the time the jury received should be amended so that the rank subsequently, ac- quired bona f1de may be considered by the commissioner in determining the amount of pension to be allowed.
 That the present rate for deafness should be increased by law to $50 per month for total deafness, with intermediate grades to be de- termined according to the degree of disability.
 That discretion should be lodged in the commissioner ill correcting discrepancies i'll rates of pension for loss of limbs, or Congress should be asked to establish a table of rates for each loss.
 That the law be amended so that the con- missioner shall be authorized to pay the pen sion to the wife of a pensioner or to a suit able person on behalf of his children when the habits of the pensioner show him to be an unfit person to receive or disburse the pension.
 The report shows that there were at the close of the year 406, 007 pensioners, as fol- lows: 294, 445 army invalids; S5,QlO army widows, minor children, and dependent rela- tives; 3,2Sl navy invalids; ,975 navy widows, minor children, and dependent relatives; 1,069 survivors of the war of 1912, and II ,S31 widows of those who served in that war; 7,503 survivors of the war with Mexico, and S95 widows of those who served in that war. There were added. to the rolls during the year pensions had been previously drop ped were restored The names of 17677 pensioners were dropped. The aggregate annual value of all pensions is S52, ,S24,64 an increase of like value for the year of $9, 1l6- S33. The amount paid for pensions during the year was S73, ,465. .5S1 an increase over the previous year of $9, ,669, ,750. The amount paid to A ,019 new pensioners during the year upon first payment was S25 166, ,9;D; ,091 200 pen sion claims have been filed since 1S5l and 6TS 9tS have been allowed 5, 19l original cer- tiiicates were issued, greater number than ever before in one year. The Commissioner asks for two additional Chiefs of Division at s2, ,000 each per annum, fifty additional clerks at S1 200 and fifty additional clerks at $1 ,O0C each per annum.
 Following are the estimates for the next fiscal year: Salaries, S2,1 144 330; investigation of pension claims, S525 900, repairs and i'm pr ,vements to building, S63,5Oo pensions, S.5.C0o,oo'; examining surgeons, Sl ,OoO, ,oOO pension agents and agencies, S312, 400. Total S79,Oi5,23o. Tho appropriation for the first fiscal wear was SIS TOT. .25O.